You Dance
by The Lucky Bell
Summary: Kuroko is practically born to dance, as everyone says, but he doesn't want to show off his skills. So after being forced into a dance battle, a man named Akashi finds him and begins teaching him more moves to dance, ready for an up coming world competition. Eventual Akakuro. AU. Based on Step Up 3, which I don't own. I also don't own some of the scenes. Do IContinue?
1. Chapter 1

It was a nice warm day with a cool breeze. A lot of people were in the park today, more then usual. The kids were playing on the playground, or running around and playing games. There were people here and there, selling things like food or balloons for the families and children.

Bubbles were flying in the air for the kids, for them to chase around and pop. Meanwhile the parents watched them, keeping a good eye on their children. Though there were a lot of teens too, hanging out or walking in groups, chatting and having fun.

A certain light blue haired boy watched it all, as he walked with his good friend.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing. Just noticing there are a lot of people in the park today. I wonder why."

"Who knows. Maybe there is a competition. You should enter a competition, Kuroko."

"...No thank you, Kagami-kun."

The short, blue light haired boy said to his good friend named Taiga Kagami. He himself was known as Tetsuya Kuroko. Kuroko had moved to America years ago, and not long after he moved, he had found Kagami. He was kind and it caught his attention. Both had met at the age of 12 and now they were 17.

They were great friends after that, and Kagami even showed him his brother, Tatsuya Himuro. Well, they weren't real brothers, but they were close like brothers.

It was amazing how they met as well.

_Kuroko was just walking around, trying to get used to his new neighborhood, his new life. He only moved here a week ago, thanks to his parents work, and he didn't even have any friends yet._

_Walking around his neighborhood, he noticed a huge gate across the street. His parents said he had to be careful if he went far, but they gave him the permission to do so. Making sure the streets were safe, he crossed it and looked up at the gates._

_A park._

_Surely he could make some friends here. Lots of kids went to parks right? Kuroko hesitantly walked inside the park, past the huge gates and looked around. The park was filled with trees and had beautiful green grass that really showed. He could even hear music in the distance._

_He could see the birds in the trees, flying from one to the next. Kids that were younger then him were running around, laughing and chasing their friends. Looks like they were having fun._

_Kuroko walked on, looking around. There was a statue in the middle of the park, with stone seats all around it for people to sit and relax and do their thing. Suddenly, the sound of cheers and voices caught his attention and turned his head._

_In a basketball court, there was a huge crowd that formed. Was it a fight? Kuroko wasn't sure about walking over, but curiosity got the best of him. He slowly walked over, and the closer he got, the music he heard from earlier got louder._

_It was a soft song, it was some man singing about dancing._

_'I won't dance; Don't ask me._

_I won't dance; Don't ask me.'_

_Kuroko tilted his head, as he walked around the fence surrounding the court, and looked inside. He still couldn't see what was happening. So he hesitantly kept walking, and got to the crowd. It slowly moved apart, as if it was on purpose, for him to see._

_There he saw a boy wearing a small black fedora, moving his feet quick but with exaggerated and graceful movements. Kuroko, as if memorized, moved closer so he was now in the front of the crowd. How did he get there? It didn't matter, as he kept watching the boy._

_The boy, looking maybe a year older then him, kept moving to the music as none of the cheering or encouragement paid him any mind. It was beautiful, seeing someone move about so gracefully without it looking like ballet._

_Without even realizing it, the boy was in front of Kuroko. He had to slightly look up at him, and the boy smiled at him. He took off his hat, placing it over his chest and he could see his red hair with black at the ends. The boy then mouthed the next lyrics to Kuroko._

_' You know what? You're lovely.'_

_The boy looked like he was about to fall back, but caught himself, and continued on moving his feet. Kuroko could only stare. He couldn't even feel embarrassed. This... Boy's dancing was amazing._

_Though soon enough, the dance ended and the boy said that was all. He waved to the crowd that began to disperse, everyone leaving until only Kuroko and the boy remained._

_Kuroko couldn't speak. It was truly amazing. The boy noticed he was there, and watched him. "May I help you? If you want another dance, I don't think I can right now. I'm a bit tired." He said, smiling sheepishly._

_"...No... It's alright." Kuroko replied, surprised that the boy responded to him._

_"Well if there's nothing you need, I guess I'll head off then." The boy said, not really sounding mean or irritated, before he began walking._

_"Wait." Kuroko said, making the boy stop. "How do you dance like that? It was amazing.."_

_The boy looked back at him, a bit amused not only by his words but his accent. "Not from here huh?"_

_Kuroko just shook his head and waited for an answer. The boy sighed, shaking his head. "I'm barley in league with the real dancers here. But how do I dance? I practice." He said, looking at Kuroko to see if he was satisfied with his answer._

_"...May I ask what your name is?"_

_"Sure. Taiga Kagami, if you want to find me, I'll probably be here. Who're you?"_

_"Tetsuya Kuroko..."_

_"Sounds foreign."_

_"I'm from Japan."_

_"Really? I visit there sometimes!"_

_"...Can you teach me to dance?"_

_"What? You want to dance?"_

_"Yes."_

_"..Well okay. I'm not the best teacher, but I'll show you."_

From that point on, Kuroko had learned dance from Kagami and soon it came natural to him. He didn't need to be taught anymore. He was his own very skilled dancer.

He was thankful that Kagami taught him, and even Himuro taught him as well, but more in the hip hop section. He was fast but had great balance. With patience, he taught Kuroko how to dance at all styles.

Now he was 17, and a completely skilled and talented dancer. Though, he didn't let anyone but his friends know.

"Kuroko! Snap out of it." Kagami said, looking a bit irritated. Kuroko shook his head and looked up at the taller male. "What?"

"You spaced out for like five minutes!"

"I apologize." Kuroko replied, before looking around. He loved the park ever since he first walked into it all those years ago. It was his place, his quiet sanctuary even though kids ran around and laughed and shouted. Plus, it was where he met Kagami and was taught to dance sometimes.

As they walked they heard some music get louder but they didn't pay any mind to it. "Say Kuroko, why don't you enter any competitions anyway?"

Kuroko looked up at Kagami again, before shrugging. "I'm not one for using my talent in battles. Even if that meant dance battles. I don't like showing off."

"But you're amazing!" Kagami argued, shaking his head. "You should enter a tournament or something at least once. See what it's like."

Kuroko didn't reply, not knowing what to say. He never entered a competition, knowing he was no match to the professionals. He has only been dancing for like what? 4 years? They trained for most likely much longer.

The music was loud in their ears, and they saw that they were beginning to mix into a crowd. Before Kagami could say anything or even grab Kuroko's hand to keep him close, the poor boy was pushed to the front of the crowd by accident.

Kuroko stayed on his feet and looked ahead. One man was dancing, the style of hip hop, to the music. People around him were cheering and holding out money in which another guy was going around and collecting. Just then another teen from the crowd slid in beside the guy dancing, making him stop, and began dancing himself.

A dance battle.

Kuroko felt a light shove on his back, and he fell forward but luckily didn't fall. He looked up and saw that the man that was dancing first, looked back at him instantly. Kuroko wish he could just disappear but even with a lack of presence, he couldn't escape the crowd.

"I'm betting on the skinny kid!" A teen said, holding out some money.

Why are you encouraging them? Kuroko had thought, staring at the man that was staring back. The male then stepped up onto the big silver square that was placed on the ground, which made it easier to dance. Kuroko shook his head a bit, silently saying he didn't want to. But then he heard Kagami's voice "Now is your chance! Show him you can dance! He's doubting you!"

Kuroko looked back at the man, and saw that he was indeed. He was making exaggerated movements, yet they were still fast. He was taunting him. Not that it cared to Kuroko, he didn't do dance battles.

Though Kuroko still couldn't escape the crowd, so he was forced to face the man who was doing skilled and swift spins on the ground. Some on his back, some on his hands.

Once he jumped up, some of the people on his side shouted, telling him it was over, to go home. He didn't even dance yet and they were already doubting him!

Kuroko held his hands up, as if he was surrendering, before walking out to the square. He stood still for a moment, while the people around him cheered, encouraged him.

He acted as if he was shyly scratching his cheek, before his arm moved, making swift but point movements. It was like being a robot, making quick stops in his dance but kept going. It took a bit of skill to get it to look perfect. To make it look awesome.

He slowly moved back a bit, shuffling his feet, before spinning around and finishing with a sort of 'Michael Jackson', a hand on his head and a hand down below.

This caused anout roar from the crowd. It only urged Kuroko to continue.

So he moved over, jumping onto a picnic table that was close by. He spun around again, before skillfully falling to his knees. Moving his whole body he back up on the table, still on his knees, before jumping up.

It was dangerous on a table, but Kuroko didn't care. When he danced, he felt alive. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and it was almost enough to block out the crowds. He could feel the adrenaline in his veins.

Jumping up onto his feet, he kicked out his feet, spinning a bit before he noticed the male jumped onto the table as well. He jumped down, watching as he did a serious of spins on the table using his hands, before jumping off the table, doing a flip.

Kuroko would admit, this guy was good. It only made it more fun. During his turn to dance, he began immediately. He was causing a crowd, he needed to finish this, even though it was so fun.

Kuroko ran over to a long table where a man was giving out fliers, and he swiped a few away, silently apologizing to the man. Using only his hands he jumped up onto the table, holding himself up.

What he didn't notice, was that a slightly older man noticed him. He was holding a big recording camera, and was recording a bunch of kids dancing for fun. Though once his mismatched eyes landed on the dancing boy, he began to slowly walk over, a little curious.

Twisting his body, kicking his legs, Kuroko made multiple spins on the table before he jumped down. It looked like the man had given up, grumbling slightly. Just to tease him, Kuroko playfully popped the bubbles that flew around him. It caused some laughter throughout the crowd.

He ran up to the stone benches by the statue, and did the same thing as on the table. More spins and kicks, before he stood up. He did more of those 'robot' moves quickly, before jumping back. He accidentally stepped on a tube that was holding all the helium for the ballons, so all of it escaped and clouded around Kuroko.

He also accidentally stepped on the stand that was holding all the balloons a man was selling, so they all started floating away.

Kuroko heard a few laughs from the cloud, but he knew this wasn't good. Who was going to pay for the balloons and smoke?

A man grabbed his arm, pointing at Kuroko. He was yelling towards the police, saying that this was the boy who let all of his balloons go. Kuroko panicked a bit, but he saw Kagami in the distance, coming towards them as the police began running to him.

But then someone with red hair, not Kagami, showed up out of no where. "Come on! They're after you, let's go!" He said, grabbing Kuroko's arm and ran off. Kuroko followed, not wanting to be caught by the police.

The crowd that was watching the dance dispersed, the dancers running away as well. Kuroko followed the red haired man who he noticed had a camera at his side which was being held onto by a strong strap.

He followed the man into a section of the park where the skateboarders are at. Kuroko had to stop quickly when a skateboarder almost came crashing into him, and had to do the same thing over and over until they escaped.

Once they did, Kuroko grabbed the man's arm. "Look, I can't do this-" He tried saying, not wanting to be in trouble by the police, but the man just grabbed his arm again. "We don't have time, come on!"

They were running again, the police still following them quickly. They ran past people, careful not to knock them over which the police weren't caring to do.

Kuroko's eyes widened just slightly as he saw the man running towards a food cart with a small gap under the roof and underneath a hot grill. "What are you doing?" He asked quickly, seeing the man wasn't turning back.

"Jump now, talk later!" He said, before running at the cart. He grabbed the edges, pulling himself and swung through the gap as if he were a spy busting in a window. Kuroko nearly stopped moving, amazed. "Wow.."

He heard the police yelling and began running again. He followed the man out the park, and into a crowd by the streets. They kept running. Kuroko looked back and saw the police were looking around, trying to find them. They escaped...?

The man began slowing down by a gate, and Kuroko slowed down as well. He was panting a bit, holding his side. "I can't... Do that..." He gasped out, getting air into his lungs. "I think I just threw up in my mouth.."

The red head opened a gate, beginning to walk down a large alleyway. Kuroko stood up straight, hesitating before following the man. He was curious of who it is. "How did you do that back there?" He asked as he walked.

"It was like... You were flying. A ninja." Kuroko continued, staring at the man. The man turned to him, holding out his hand. "Seijuro Akashi."

Kuroko looked at his hand, but then the man named 'Akashi' took it and did some weird but cool handshake with it. He started at his hand as Akashi walked off, picking up a broken crate and setting it aside.

"I'm Tetsuya Kuroko, by the way." Kuroko said, walking to the man again.

"I haven't seen you around." Akashi replied, setting the wood down before looking at Kuroko.

"Well, I don't draw attention to myself, really." Kuroko replied, scratching his hair slightly.

"I see. But you're dancing right? You dance?" Akashi asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

Kuroko blinked, before slightly shaking his head. "Ah, no no. I dance, but I only do it when I'm alone."

"That wasn't alone." Akashi said, before walking to the alley wall. There were many posters and fliers about dance there, and he took a green one off the wall. He walked back to Kuroko, holding up the paper.

"Look, some people learn to dance, others are born to. You're born to dance." Akashi explained, and Kuroko refrained from saying that he was taught.

"This is a big tournament, a competition." Akashi said as he held out the flier. Kuroko slowly took it, immediately seeing "WORLD JAM" on it. "It's big, and it's froze prize is a lot of money. Plus if you win, you'll be practically known as the king of dancing."

"...I'm sorry, I don't do competitions..." Kuroko said, handing the paper back.

"Tetsuya," He said, which caught Kuroko's attention. No one but his parents called him that. "Don't waste your talents. Don't keep them hidden in the shadows. Show the world what you can do. I have a crew inside my place, and they are talented dancers. You can join us in the World Jam." He said, then silenced himself, letting Kuroko make the choice.

Kuroko hesitated, looking at paper that Akashi was hanging back up. Could he dance in such a big tournament?


	2. Chapter 2

**I picked Haizaki because I wanted to pick someone who had background with Seijuro, plus the man from the park, I was planning for that to be Hanamiya. Sorry if it confuses you XD **

Kuroko was still quiet, so Akashi just moved over to the object being covered by a tarp. He removed it, revealing a nice looking car. Kuroko wasn't into cars really, but even he thought it was cool. "Is that your car?"

Akashi moved over to the passenger side, opening the door. "Of course. Want to come with me?"

Kuroko wasn't sure about getting in the car with someone he just met, but what else did he have to lose? He got into the car, and after a while, they were making their way through New York.

Kuroko never been around this part before, so it did fascinate him a bit. The buildings were shining brightly with different colors or advertisements. He slowly rolled down his window, lifting himself slightly.

Akashi didn't seem to mind, keeping his eyes on the road. Kuroko's upper body was out the car but he was careful. He looked around, a bit of interest in his eyes. Imagine living and being famous in New York, thanks to doing what he loved; Dancing.

He lowered himself, sitting himself down in the car seat and buckled back up. He left the window down for some wind, until they finally entered a bigger alley then before.

Akashi drove in for a bit, before parking in the alley. He rolled the windows up, before exiting the car with Kuroko doing the same. He covered it with another tarp, before heading to a large shutter that was usually seen for garages.

Kuroko followed as Akashi opened it and walked inside, holding it so Kuroko could enter. Once he did, Akashi let it drop carefully before heading to some sort of lifting device, that wasn't exactly an elevator.

He stepped onto it, so Kuroko did as well. "You live here?" Kuroko asked as Akashi began working the machine.

"Yes. On the second floor, are the dancers. It's where they dance, and on the bottom floor is a club. Fits doesn't it?" He asked as they began heading up.

Kuroko just nodded, watching as they went up and up before the machine stopped. Akashi carefully put the remote back, before walking ahead to double doors. "This, is where the prodigies live." He said, pushing open the doors gently.

Kuroko looked inside before they began walking forward. A big room that was filled with a little bit of furniture, but mostly people and places to dance.

A room filled with cushions was being occupied by someone practicing flips. There was a small stage that wasn't even over two feet off the ground, and two people were dancing on it. The others were just placed around the room, doing their own thing, practicing dance.

"This is where we all live. We live together, eat together, dance together. Some of these people I got from the streets, but I knew that they loved dance. Now we all dance together, as a whole." Akashi explained, just as two boys from the stage earlier ran over to them.

Both were tall, one just slightly taller then the other. One had blonde hair, and was smiling cheerfully. The other had short and dark blue hair, and wasn't exactly showing his excitement. They looked at Akashi, before noticing Kuroko. "We saw what you did at the park, that was amazing!" The blonde explained.

"It was hard to see you at first, but you put on quite the crowd." The blue haired one replied.

"Daiki, Ryota, don't crowd around him. Let me show him around before you tackle him in questions." Akashi commanded, seeming more threatening then before. The boys just held up their hands in defeat before walking away.

They didn't even get to take another step before someone came jogging up to them. It was a tall male with green short hair and glasses and he was holding a clipboard.

"Akashi, you're back." He said as he walked up. Akashi nodded in greeting, before gesturing to Kuroko. "Meet Tetsuya Kuroko. Tetsuya, this is Shintaro Midorima. He's the captain of the ship."

Midorima held out his hand, which Kuroko took hesitantly. "Nice to meet you Kuroko." He said, before looking at Akashi. "I need to talk to you about something."

"I can't talk right now, I have to show him around." Akashi said, but right when he said that, two boys walked up. One Kuroko recognized, while the other he had to look way up to.

"Akachin, we can show him around." The tall kid said, who had long purple hair.

"Himuro-kun." Kuroko said, looking at Kagami's best friend.

"Kuroko." Himuro said, smiling softly. "You got chosen to?" Kuroko just nodded. "About time. I knew you'd let your talents show one day."

"I see you already know each other. Then I'll let Tetsuya go to you, Tatsuya. Don't break him." Akashi said, and Himuro nodded. "Let's go Kuroko."

Himuro began to walk off with Kuroko, the big kid following who Himuro explained was Atsushi Murasakibara. As Kuroko looked back he noticed Midorima and Akashi were talking, looking serious.

"Look at what we got." Midorima said, handing Akashi a paper. "We are six months late on our rent."

"We paid it last month." Akashi said, frowning just slightly.

"Yes, but what about the other place?"

"The club isn't making as much money as it used to. We'll get the money soon, alright?"

"The bank won't accept it. They want the money soon and if they don't get it, they'll put this place up for public auction." Midorima warned, and Akashi looked over at the kitchen, seeing all the teens from the place gather around Kuroko who was showing a few dance moves for fun.

"Look, that kid beat one of the Kirisaki Daiichi. He has a spark in him that might get us to win, with a little more training of course." Akashi explained, watching Kuroko and the gang. They were all talking and watching something on someone's phone.

"Someone even recorded your dance, Kuroko." Himuro said, as they all watched Kuroko's dance in the park on the phone. He still felt a bit guilty about the balloons and smoke.

"Yeah, but I'm surprised you beat one of the Kirisaki Daiichi." Aomine, who Kuroko found out his name by the blonde named Kise, had said boredly.

"The who?" Kuroko questioned in confusion.

"The Kirisaki Daiichi! The baddest dancing group around. They'll surely be back to battle you once again." Kise explained, shaking his head slightly.

"No one ever dominated any of them, and got it on tape." Aomine explained, and Akashi suddenly appeared, placing his hands on Kuroko's shoulders. "Don't let them scare you like that." He said, before continuing. "But they won't come after you."

"Because no one messes with us." Midorima said "Not even the Kirisaki Daiichi."

"Not unless you want to get toasted." Aomine replied with a smirk, who bumped fists with Murasakibara who was smiling.

Akashi nodded, before looking at the small screen they had to watch the club with. That reminded him, he should show Kuroko the club. "Hey, Tetsuya, come with me I'll show you the club downstairs."

The teens groaned, wanting Kuroko to stay and continue talking, but Akashi shook his head. With that, he took Kuroko down to the club.

The music was loud before they even got there and once they entered, it was booming in Kuroko's ears. He looked around at all the people dancing, some break dancing, some dancing on the fences while others were a bit... seductive.

But Kuroko actually thought it was amazing. There were lights and poles all around, and a big dance floor where people were showing off their flips and dance moves. "Amazing, isn't it?" Akashi asked, and was answered with a nod.

"You can look around, I'm going to go walk around as well." Akashi said, and walked off before Kuroko could ask where he was going. He sighed a bit, before he did walk around. He watched all the dancers, watching their moves, their tricks.

This is why he didn't show off his dance, because he wasn't even in league with these people.

Soon enough he found himself walking down a hall, which was still lit with the same glow in the dark lights from the dance room. Then he got the odd feeling he was being followed, but once he turned around, there was no one there.

So he kept walking and soon found himself in a big bathroom. The sinks were lined up on both sides in the middle, and the stalls were on one side. As he studied them, he noticed they were decorated like graffiti. It looked really cool.

Though he heard someone walk in, and turned around. He saw a man standing there with a jacket that looked like it had mini speakers in it. "No one faces the Kirisaki Daiichi once and gets away with it." The man said, staring Kuroko down. Now he knew he was in trouble.

The man began to dance. It was more like he was moving to the beats of music he had on his little speakers. He urged Kuroko to dance, but he didn't want to. Especially not in the bathroom, where anyone could get hurt.

He tried moving to the other side to escape, but a man jumped out from the stall. He blocked his way for a moment, but Kuroko just pushed past him quickly.

A third man blocked the exit, pushing him back towards the stalls. Now he knew there was no choice. He was pushed back once again, and was by the sinks yet again. So with his hands he hopped up onto the sinks. It was like in the park, on the table.

He held himself up by his hands, and jumped to another sink. He then jumped down onto the ground, got a little bit of water from the sink and flicked some into the man's face. When he stepped back in surprise, covering his eyes, Kuroko ran.

He heard the footsteps behind him, but he still ran. He made it out onto the dance floor, but there was someone in his way and he fell down with a big thud. He winced, but he felt he was picked up by his arms carefully but swiftly. Midorima and Murasakibara.

Though the Kirisaki Daiichi were still there, and they were showing off in dance moves. One even used his partner to jump into the air, doing a flip before landing it. Though one person, Kuroko recognized. The man he had battled in the park.

He was there, on the dance floor, declaring his war through dance. He returned with more flips and spins on his head and hands, and Kuroko watched even though he was pushed behind Akashi and some teens from the gang.

Once he stood again, he walked towards the crowd, pointing at Kuroko. "Let him out, we have unfinished business." The man said, and Akashi just growled in warning. "If you want him, you will need to go through us. All of us." He said, gesturing to the gang.

Just then, a man taller then Akashi walked up. "Akashi, relax. No harm done."

"...Shougo, what do you think you're doing here?" Akashi questioned, frowning and narrowing his eyes.

"Nice to see you too." Haizaki replied.

"Look, take your little gang and leave our property." Akashi warned, and watched as Haizaki only chuckled.

"Your property? It won't be for long. Don't worry, once I buy it, I'll take good care of it." Haizaki said with a smirk, and Kuroko frowned just slightly.

"When we win the World Jam, your little group won't even be able to touch us." Akashi said, which caused a few shouts from the crowd.

Haizaki just hung his head, before lifting his hands. "Yeah, that's cute. Your guy doesn't even finish his battles." He said, looking at Kuroko.

"Look, we will finish this at the World Jam. We don't need to bring it here." Kise said, not wanting a fight to break out.

"We will do as we please."

"Hey, don't disrespect my crew like that." Aomine said, walking up to Haizaki. Kuroko didn't know who threw the first punch, but all he knew was that fighting was going on everywhere. It was chaotic.

Akashi tried looking around for Kuroko, and saw the poor boy being squished between everyone fighting. He ran over, grabbed his wrist, and began running upstairs with him, knowing he was the main purpose of the fight.

Once they got upstairs, into the the gang's floors did he slow down. Kuroko caught his breath, and Akashi let go of his wrist. Though he kept walking and so did Kuroko.

He took him to a small room with a bed, and took out a few blankets and pillows. Kuroko sat on the bed, watching. "Sorry, for starting the fight."

"You didn't start it. The Kirisaki Daiichi did." Akashi said, tossing Kuroko a pillow. He placed it down still watching. "So are you ready?" Akashi asked as he handed him a blanket.

"For what?"

"The World Jam. We could use someone like you." Akashi said, looking at Kuroko for an answer.

Kuroko paused, wondering if he had enough skills to dance against people like the Kirisaki Daiichi.

"We will train you, and practice with you." Akashi said quickly, wanting Kuroko to accept his offer.

"...Alright. I'll do it." Kuroko said quietly, but it was enough to make Akashi smile.

"Get some rest. We start tomorrow, and it will be a long day."


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Kuroko made his way through his high school, looking around. He needed to find his new class, which was some kind of lab. He didn't know if it was the chemistry lab, but he was fairly certain it was.

As he walked around, he started thinking back. So much happened yesterday. He had a dance battle against some group called the Kirisaki Daiichi, Akashi found him and offered him to join his crew and to train him, and had figured out that the Kirisaki Daiichi is out for a rematch.

That, and he was also competing in the World Jam with Akashi.

How did he get in this mess? It was Kagami's fault, he told him he should compete. Speaking of which, what was he going to say? He did just leave suddenly and not return at all. He hoped he wasn't angry.

"Kuroko, where the hell were you yesterday?"

Speaking of the devil, Kuroko turned around and saw Kagami there, frowning angrily.

"I'm sorry I suddenly left." Kuroko apologized quietly.

"Who was that, who was the person who took you?" Kagami questioned, crossing his arms.

"...A friend of mine," Kuroko said, before changing the subject. "Where is the chemistry lab?" He asked.

Kagami sighed, before pointing behind him. "Kuroko, it's literally right there."

Kuroko just nodded, walking towards it. "Thank you. I'll explain everything later." He said, before running off.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Kuroko spent a while in class. He wasn't even noticed really so the student he sat next to didn't talk to him at all. It didn't matter.

Though he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, so he slowly took it out and turned it on. Looking at it, he saw he got a message. It must be Kagami, only Kagami texted him during class.

He was surprised to see it was Akashi. He opened the message, and saw that it said:

REHEARSAL TIME

LOOK LEFT. ALL THE WAY LEFT.

Confused, Kuroko looked over and almost jumped in surprise. At the far building was Akashi waving with both arms. "No way.." Kuroko said to himself, before smiling slightly. It was time then. It was easy to slip out of class, no one noticed. It was time to train.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Akashi led him through a new part of the place, and he looked around curiously.

"Alright, open up the cages, we're showing him our stuff." Akashi said, as they walked up to Aomine and Kise. They nodded, leading them through a few halls before they got to a big room, where half of the room was dark.

Kise got a remote, looking at Kuroko. "This, is our prized possessions!" He said pressing the button and the rest of the lights turned on.

The lights revealed many shoes on the wall, held up by little shelves designed for shoes. There was so much it covered almost all of the wall.

Kuroko walked up to them, staring in amazement.

"They're the best shoes around the world. Their feeling, their comfort, and their ease for dance." Aomine explained, while he and everyone watched Kuroko pick up a random pair of shoes to examine them.

Kuroko thought these pair were interesting. They were all white, with light blue laces like his hair. The designs on the side were two light blue streaks horizontal, while their was one vertical, going through it.

As he put them back, Akashi spoke. "Yeah well you have to earn your kicks here. Come on, we have more to show you."

~.~.~.~.~.~

Akashi led them all down further, and into a dark room besides a few lights here and there. "This is the graffiti room." Kuroko followed while looking around, before Akashi pointed to a man across the room.

"That is Takao Kazunari. He works in lights, magnets, devices, anything you can think of." Akashi explained as they all walked up to him.

Takao saw them and stood up, gesturing to the table he was sitting at. "You're just in time. I'm almost done with these lights. Just trying to figure out how to get them to stick to metal without damaging or covering the lights."

Kuroko walked over, taking one of the lights. "Look all you do is wrap the magnet around the base," He did so to demonstrate. "Make sure it's sticking," He pressed down on it, making sure it wasn't covering the light. "And there you go."

Kuroko threw one of the lights that he made with the magnet at a wire hanging and it stuck onto it.

Takao watched in amazement, before standing. He draped an arm over Kuroko's shoulders, smiling. "I like this kid, what's your name?"

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

"It's nice to meet you, Kuroko." Takao said, before sitting down to make more lights.

Kise picked up one, and threw it at the wire as well. "I like them... They're like little fireflies. Neon fireflies... Neo Flies!"

"Neo Flies?" Takao questioned, before nodding and smiled. "I like that."

~.~.~.~.~.~

Everyone in the crew was seated around the table, either eating or examining a can that had the Neo Flies on it. They were amazed to see it. and praised Takao, who said it was really Kuroko.

"The World Jam is just around the corner and we have to pass two rounds before getting into the semi-finals. You know what that means." Midorima said.

"Means we need to practice hard. Tetsuya, are you with us?" Akashi asked, looking at Kuroko.

Just then dramatic music began playing and everyone looked back to see Aomine and Kise by a piano, smirking playfully. It caused a few laughs, but then it died down to hear Kuroko's answer.

"I don't know... I have school." Kuroko said, looking down slightly.

"You can work around it can't you?" Kise asked.

"...Maybe.."

"Then I see no reason you can't join." Himuro said, smiling softly. "Come on Kuroko... Show everyone you can dance. You were born to."

Just then Takao began to lightly hit his fist on the table. "Teiko, Teiko."

Then everyone began to join in, saying their team's name. "Teiko, Teiko!"

Kuroko hesitated a bit, before nodding in defeat. "I'm in. I'll dance."

Some cheered, glad to have a new member in their crew. But they knew they had to start practicing soon.

~.~.~.~.~

Practice began immediately.

It went on for days and days, and Kuroko never had so much fun.

One day they were just showing what they could do. Everyone was showing off their dance, showing Kuroko how they did it. From then on, he noticed everyone helped each other and taught each other.

From the robot, to break dancing, to just doing your own thing, Kuroko watched and did it all.

He practiced more on his joint movements, he practiced dancing while on the floor, he practiced his hand stands and slides.

One day Akashi even took him out personally, out on the roof. There he taught him their own dance, which looked a lot like a fight but with graceful movements.

The dance taught him to do flips with moving and to land them, or to bend low whenever Akashi's leg nearly hit him, but of course it was apart of the dance.

Some other days they went into the cushion room to practice flips. Kuroko remembered he had a lot of fun there. He ran at the walls, jumping off and doing flips. They would all flip into the ball of soft cubes too, which he would admit was fun.

One time everyone began throwing the cubes, even Akashi, at Kuroko and each other. But then Aomine pulled him into the pit of cubes, pulling him away from the attacks. Kuroko never laughed so much.

Kuroko still went to school of course, and even though it was slightly stressful, dance took that stress away.

Though Akashi said he was going upstairs one day during practice. He didn't say why and Kuroko was curious. So he slipped away after a few minutes and went upstairs.

He heard Midorima's voice, but then he heard Kise's. That was strange, weren't they downstairs?

Kuroko walked into a room quietly, and saw Akashi sitting at a desk with three computers. One had someone speaking, the second was people dancing, and the last was making the video.

Akashi looked back and saw Kuroko, who walked up once he was caught. "What's this?"

"Just a video of the people who inspire me." Akashi said, looking back at the screen.

"What do you do with them?" Kuroko asked, staring at the screens.

"Nothing. Just mess around.." Akashi said slowly, and Kuroko just continued watching. He watched the people dance, almost memorized. "Amazing.."

"I know, they are talented." Akashi said, smiling softly.

"I meant you." Kuroko said, which made Akashi look up in surprise. "You're a film maker."

Akashi blinked, before chuckling a bit and looking at the screen. "I'd rather have no one see."

"Except me?" Kuroko said, smiling just slightly himself.

Akashi studied him, before slightly nodding. "Alright."

"You'll show me?" Kuroko asked, sitting on a chair beside Akashi.

"If you promise not to laugh." Akashi said, restarting the video.

"Never." Kuroko said, as he watched the screen.

~.~.~.~.~.~

The next day after school, Kuroko decided to stay after with Kagami, since they haven't in a while.

They were just idly dancing together, smiling and laughing. Kagami might be tall and big, but he was a skillful dancer, just like he was when he was younger. Though Kagami had noticed Kuroko's change in skill. It was even better then before.

"Kuroko, how come you seem much better?" Kagami asked as they stopped for a moment.

"Practice. I've been practicing." Kuroko said, then remembered that Himuro was apart of the crew as well. Did Kagami know?

"I see. You didn't tell me. Is that why you've been gone so much?"

"Yes. I apologize for that." Kuroko said, and they moved their feet together, as if in sync.

"You guys are dating right? You look great together." Their friend, Koganei, said while smiling, and his friend Mitobe nodded in agreement.

Kagami shook his head, looking away. "We aren't together we're just... friends."

"Best friends." Kuroko said, before he felt his phone vibrate. He took it out, checking it and smiled. "Kagami-kun, I need to go again."

"But you just got here!.." Kagami said, frowning just slightly.

"Sorry." Kuroko said, before rushing out the room.

Kagami watched after him, before turning away and sighing softly. "Well-"

Kuroko came sliding back in, literally, and grabbed his bag. He then waved before running off again.

Kagami watched after him, before sighing deeply once again. He went over and sat on a chair right beside Koganei.

Koganei immediately moved over to stand right by Kagami's chair. "It's obvious, you know."

"What is?" Kagami questioned, sounding a bit irritated at Kuroko leaving so suddenly.

"You love him, don't you?"

Kagami blinked in surprise, before shaking his head. "It's nothing like that. We grew up together, it would be weird otherwise." He said, before gesturing to Mitobe. "Hey, isn't it your turn?"

Mitobe nodded, standing up from the chair. He went over to the clearing, and showed a few dance moves that he had recently learned, but Kagami wasn't paying attention anymore.

~.~.~.~.~

Akashi stood on the roof again, alone this time. It was morning, but it was a little dark since it was cloudy that day.

He looked around, but not at anything really. Just listening to his surroundings.

Though he heard footsteps and looked back. He saw Kuroko there. He had let Kuroko stay at his place, after his parents said he could. They let him go to school in the morning, but call him near the afternoon either after school or near the end of school to practice.

Kuroko walked up to him, looking up at him. "Mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead." Akashi said, sitting down on the roof. Kuroko moved over and sat beside him, looking around. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing. Just listening. The river, the traffic, the birds. They make me feel like I'm apart of something bigger." Akashi explained, looking around.

"...Traffic makes you feel like you're apart of something bigger?" Kuroko questioned, making Akashi smile.

"Well I didn't get much sleep so.." Akashi trailed off, and let it fade to silence, until Kuroko spoke.

"I was thinking about your video."

"And?"

"And you should finish it. And maybe show some people." Kuroko said, and Akashi looked at him before looking away.

"I don't know about that."

"Well you obviously love it don't you?" Kuroko asked, and Akashi responded with a nod.

"Okay, so you should continue. You make everyone seem to...Glow."

"Glow?"

This made Kuroko and Akashi smile slightly. Kuroko then looked around, before lightly touching his arm. "We should get to the first battle."

Akashi looked at him, before nodding. "Okay."


	4. Chapter 4

The first battle in the World Jam, was Teiko vs Kaijo.

As Kuroko entered the building with his crew, he noticed that the place was already crowded with shouting people, and there was dust or smoke in the air. As they walked to the middle of the room, Kuroko saw their competition.

They weren't the toughest of guys, but they did look fast. They were clapping their hands together, puffs of powder or dust coming off their hands, filling the air. It must be apart of their dance.

"The first dance battle in the World Jam, is Kaijo vs Teiko!" A man shouted, causing cheers and shouts from the crowd.

"Kaijo, are you ready!?" The team smirked, as if they already won.

"Teiko, are you ready!?"

Was he ready?

Kuroko thought this, as Kaijo began dancing first. Could he really be in a competition with such talented dancers?

Kaijo's dance reminded him of a predators; An animal's.

They did swift but joint movements. One was even crawling and growling like a tiger.

How they could go low and stop, was amazing. They were practically holding themselves up with nothing back just their muscular strength. Every time they clapped their hands, more dust escaped into the air.

They started dancing close to Kuroko's crew, as if taunting them, daring them to do something about their dance. It reminded Kuroko of the park that one day, against that Kirisaki Daiichi guy. He was taunting and doubting him before he danced, and now Kaijo was doing the same!

Now he was fired up. And now it's their turn.

Though sadly, Kuroko remembered what Akashi said. He wasn't supposed to dance in this one, he was just supposed to watch and see how it goes.

His crew went in strong, but it was barley close to what they were really skilled at doing. Basically, they were taunting as well. This dance was mostly based on their robot dance. Swift but joint movements.

They pushed Kaijo back a bit to dance better and to show that they would win, but the group just pushed back. This time, someone with black and red gloves came out. Their hands moved too fast for Kuroko to see, and he frowned slightly. It was good, but did it count as dancing?

Teiko just came back. Now they ever started using the powder that covered the floor. Aomine even slid up to one of the Kaijo members, and clapped their hands by their head so the powder covered their hair. Though he moved back with the crew, just as their best robotics person came out.

Almost like a remote, he controlled the dance. He summoned players to battle.

Kuroko watched as Himuro was summoned, and watched him do all series of moves. He always thought that Himuro was best at hip hop, but look at him now. They must have been training really hard.

Teiko soon began pushing Kaijo back, all the way into the crowd. They overtook the dance floor.

But soon they were pushed back by the man before. The teams growled at each other, but they already knew the winner.

"The winner... Is Teiko!"

Their crew burst out into cheers and yells. Pats and slaps on the back were everywhere, and a few hugging here and there. Kuroko was actually surprised when Kise came up to him, and hugged him to where he wasn't even touching the floor.

Teiko won the first round in the World Jam. Now they had to train and create a new dance for the next battle.

~.~.~.~.~.~

A video camera was turned on, and Kise moved in front of Akashi. "Now it's your turn to be behind the camera. Do you want make up?" He asked, which got a few chuckles from Aomine, Kuroko, and even Midorima.

Midorima walked up, touching Akashi's shoulder. "It's not easy being the one recorded huh?"

"Keep walking." Akashi said, but he was slightly smiling.

"Fine fine." Kise handed the recorder to Kuroko, and soon the three others left leaving Kuroko and Akashi.

"So, what do you like about dance?" Kuroko asked, recording Akashi.

"...I don't know... The dance music has always been there for me, I guess." Akashi said, hesitating slightly. There was silence before Akashi smiled. "Why?"

Kuroko shook his head, smiling slightly. "Come on, you can do better then that."

Akashi looked away for a second, before looking back at Kuroko, at the camera. "...My parents used to be dancers. They created this place for people like them... They didn't want to just be back up dancers. They wanted to do their own thing, go get their own respect.

And I thought it was cool, so I wanted to follow up their tradition, but in my own way, you know?"

Kuroko nodded, before tilting his head. "What did they think when you turned this place into a mad house?"

Akashi hesitated, his smile disappearing. "...They never got to see it."

Kuroko stared at him, slowly turning off the camera. "I'm so sorry.." He said, setting the camera down.

"No, don't be. It's alright." Akashi said, smiling again.

"So that's why you're so devoted to this place? Because you want to keep on the tradition?"

"Family is family." Akashi said, looking around. "Dance used to be their life, and now it's mine."

"It's amazing what we do for our family sometimes." Kuroko said, and Akashi nodded.

"Now tell me about your parents."

"There's nothing much to them." Kuroko said, shrugging slightly.

"I see." Akashi said, and Kuroko handed him the camera.

"So, you going to black mail us with that footage?"

"No," Akashi said, smiling "Just you. Now you should get to school, otherwise you'll be late."

Kuroko nodded "Thank you for reminding me." He said, before running off. Akashi watched after him, smiling and shaking his head.

~.~.~.~.~

Kuroko looked down the steps in his school, looking for Kagami. Why can't he spot such a big guy?

He walked down the steps, looking around. Where could Kagami be? Once he walked downstairs, he saw Koganei, Mitobe, and Kagami sitting at a table. Kuroko walked over, touching Kagami's shoulder. The boy jumped, and looked around before spotting Kuroko. "Geez Kuroko, don't scare me like that!"

"...I just walked up..." Had he been gone so long that Kagami is forgetting to see him?...

"..I see." Kagami said, and Koganei waved as well at Mitobe.

"What were you guys talking about?" Kuroko asked, looking at Koganei.

"When our next basketball game is."

Basketball game? Oh.

He forgot all about basketball.

Well, who was he to think he could dance, have school, and play basketball at the same time?

"You haven't shown up to practice in a long time." Kagami said irritatingly. "Your dance practice is getting in the way."

Did Kagami know about the competition? No, he remembered he told him he was just practicing dance. Well, it wasn't a lie. He just didn't say he was practicing with Himuro and the crew. "You're disappearing like Tatsuya was.." Kagami mumbled.

Kuroko looked at him, before looking away. "Sorry."

Kagami stood up, along with Koganei and Mitobe. "Well, we got to go."

"Wait, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said, and Kagami looked at him. "I'm sorry I wasn't around. I'm here now, and I'll be at the game. I promise."

Kagami looked at him, before waving off Koganei and Mitobe. He then looked back at Kuroko, before sighing. "I can't play without my shadow after all."

Kuroko nodded, and raised his hand. Kagami bumped their fist, before he began walking off. "Alright, I really do have to go."

"Good bye, Kagami-kun..."

~.~.~.~.~

After school, Akashi decided to give Kuroko a break from practice. He took him out into the city, and bought him his favorite drink; Vanilla milkshake.

"Stop complaining." Akashi said as they crossed the street.

"But.. I understand my love for vanilla milkshakes, but this cup is huge..." Kuroko said, making Akashi smile. Kuroko then looked over at a sign, before walking up to it. "Look, it's you."

"That is not me, It looks nothing like me." Akashi said, shaking his head.

"Yeah it does, from the red hair, to your cute little mismatched eyes. Even got the video camera." Kuroko said, before walking back to Akashi.

"I would never put myself in those signs."

"But you do love film making. You don't fool me."

"It's just for fun." Akashi said, shrugging as they continued walking.

"...What if Teiko and the rivalry with Kirisaki Daiichi didn't exist? Then would you make films?"

"Yeah well it's not an option, so I don't think about it." Akashi said, not looking at Kuroko. They kept walking, but once they turned the corner, Kuroko looked at Akashi. "So tell me how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Get all your amazing footage."

"I don't know," Akashi said shrugging. "I just try to see things that no one else sees."

"Will you show me?" Kuroko asked, and Akashi stared at him, before shaking his head. "Follow me."

~.~.~.~.~

Akashi led him somewhere down below a bridge, and Kuroko could do nothing but follow. "Where are you taking me?" Kuroko asked, and Akashi started climbing a ladder with one hand, the milkshake in the other. "Come on."

With help from Akashi, Kuroko got up the ladder with his milkshake, and they stood on a big box looking machine. "What are we doing here?" Kuroko asked, and Akashi smiled.

"Wait for it." He said, and a moment later a huge gush of wind blue from beneath them. Kuroko yelped in surprise, before smiling. "What is that?" They had to yell to talk, but Kuroko didn't mind.

"Watch this." Akashi yelled, before getting his straw from the milkshake. He gathered a bit inside, before blowing a little out. Kuroko expected it for it to fall, but instead the wind picked it up. It looked like streamers in the sky. "How did you do that? I want to try!"

Kuroko got his straw, and did the same thing. It still flew with the wind, and he laughed slightly watching it. "Did you see that?"

Kuroko tried doing it again, but his straw blew with the wind. Though he just laughed again, watching it. "My straw!"

Akashi smiled, chuckling as he got his straw and placed it into Kuroko's milkshake. Kuroko looked at him, smiling slightly. He didn't move away as he saw Akashi lean down slightly.

Kuroko smiled a bit more as he felt Akashi's lips on his. He slowly returned the kiss, only hesitant because he never kissed before, but Akashi didn't seem to mind.

Though they broke apart, smiling and laughing. "How old are you again?" Kuroko yelled, and Akashi smiled. "19."

"...Is that old enough to call you a pedophile?"

"You're only 17, almost 18. You'll be okay." Akashi said, chuckling a bit.

Akashi pressed his forehead against Kuroko's gently, still smiling. He then leaned down, softly kissing the boy again.

~.~.~.~.~

Later in the day, when it was dark at night, Akashi was still in his room and going through his recordings of Kuroko. His reasons of dance.

It was great, how Kuroko explained why he danced. At first it made no sense, but if you thought about it, you can tell he was born to dance.

Though when he heard footsteps, he looked over and saw the male he was just thinking about. He paused the tape, and looked over at him. "Tetsuya, something wrong?"

"When is the next battle?" Kuroko said, seeming a bit nervous.

"...8:00, why?" Akashi asked, turning in his chair to face him.

"I have a test the same exact day."

"Tetsuya, you have to be there. If you aren't there, we can be eliminated." Akashi said, standing up.

"I know, I know... I don't know if I can.."

Akashi walked over to Kuroko, and slowly pulled him closer. "Look, we need you. Just find a way to make it work, okay?"

Kuroko looked up at Akashi, before slowly nodding. But, if he had to choose, what would it be? Dance or his education?


	5. Chapter 5

Kuroko glanced at the clock, as his classmates passed around the paper for the test. It was 8:00pm, he needed to be at the battle now.

He thought he could get it done quickly and get there as soon as possible, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. As the tests were passed around, he got his then passed the rest. He looked at the test and frowned. Usually tests were easy, but he has been missing so much that he didn't remember much of this subject.

He looked at the clock again before he felt a vibration in his pocket. He slowly reached down, making sure no one was watching, before opening his phone. A text from Akashi said.

YOU'RE LATE, YOU NEED TO BE HERE NOW

Kuroko frowned again, before putting the phone away. He had to try. This was 25% of his grade, but the dance needed him...

What was he going to do?

~.~.~.~.~.~

The next dance battle was against Touou, a very strong dance group. Akashi waited on the dance floor with his team, wonder where Kuroko was as Touou came out.

Aomine even approached him with a frown. "Where's Tetsu?"

"I don't know.." Akashi said slowly, eyeing the Touou dance group that started surrounding them.

Their style of dance looked to be mostly spins and flips. Style equals more points after all.

They started off the dance battle strong, trying to win over the observers votes of who danced best tonight.

Akashi watched them closely, seeing that a few had to dance by themselves, doing twists and turns, flips and spins. Some used help from others, rolling off their backs and accomplishing another flip. Could they do this without Kuroko?

Of course they could, but he still needed to be there...

Aomine and Kise went out with Himuro, doing a dance simular to what Touou was doing. They did regular dance moves of course, to keep all styles in the battle, and not just flips.

Aomine and Kise were strong enough to lift Himuro once he finished his dance which ended in a flip, and they pulled him back as Touou came back head strong.

They stepped it up a notch, doing continuous back flips and such, spins on their head. They were quick, and if Akashi wasn't skilled in seeing fast movements, he was afraid he wasn't going to see them.

Quickly Himuro was sent out again, followed by Midorima and Takao. Himuro went to the middle of the ring, trying to push the main dancers back so they could take over. Midorima and Takao took the sides, but even so, they were pushed back.

Would they lose this battle?

Akashi watched as the other team came out again, doing simular moves. Though the crowd suddenly parted and Akashi looked over. There was Kuroko, arriving on a BMX bike. He turned to a stop, and his tire hit a latch. Water bubbled out of the dance floor, as Kuroko ran up to the steps.

Akashi watched as he quickly apologized about the water, before running to the dance floor. He did not hesitate to start dancing, and Aomine, Kise, Himuro, Murasakibara, and Takao joined him.

Kuroko took the lead, stomping in the water. The splash almost hit the other team. He almost smiled, but this was serious. He heard the splashes behind him and knew his team was there, dancing behind him. His heart beat a bit faster, realizing he was in the lead.

Kuroko quickly got to the ground, sticking to the Dance his team created for this battle. It was even better because every spin they did created a wave that soaked the other team. Kuroko didn't even care that he was getting soaked himself.

They pulled back to see what the other team would do. They tried their flips and spins again, but they weren't used to the water.

This is why Kuroko loved his team. They could dance on any terrain.

They tried a big move with their whole team, out the water, but they slipped and everyone fell. Kuroko couldn't help but smile, but he pushed it back once they returned to the floor.

Kuroko saw everyone kind of danced into a line, getting to the ground. He jumped up quickly, walking on their backs since he was the lightest, and held up his arms to get the crowd going. He jumped down, as the other team returned.

They tried to, at least. This time they tried using their hands instead of their heads in spinning, but they were too slow. Teiko came in, overtaking the dance floor.

Kuroko's heart beat had never been this fast. He stayed in the middle, creating splashes and waves with every dance move to soak the other team, plus it looked cool. Everyone was around him, doing the same.

Kuroko stood up, as everyone flopped down, creating a huge splash. He stood their, panting, as the crowd cheered. Did they win? He was sure they won.

As the crowd continued to cheer, the announcer said the winner.

"Teiko is the winner for round two of the World Jam!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Everyone was back at the place, their home. They were all celebrating, something that they pulled Kuroko into. They turned on Rock Band, and began playing. They tried to get Kuroko to play, but he said he didn't know how. Not that he wanted to either.

He went upstairs while everyone was downstairs, dancing and singing, having fun.

Though it wasn't long before Kuroko came back down, a frown on his face. He approached Akashi who was sitting on a chair, laptop in his laptop. "Akashi-kun, you need to see something. Look at the World Jam site."

Akashi saw how serious Kuroko was, and opened up the site. It was a video of their crew dancing. Not in a dance battle, but practicing here, at their home.

"No.. Guys, cut the music! You need to see this." Akashi said, watching the video to confirm it was them.

Everyone crowded around Akashi, their laughs dying off as they saw the video.

"Why is our dance online?" Kise asked, while Akashi shook his head.

"It has to be the Kirasaki Daichii.."

"How did they get our rehearsal tape?" Aomine asked, and Akashi looked at everyone.

"Do you all have your CD's?" Akashi asked seriously.

"...Where did you put ours Kise?" Aomine asked and Kise thought for a moment. "In our room of course. I'm sure it's still there."

Akashi sighed, and looked back at the screen. What could they do now?

~.~.~.~.~.~

Akashi sat with Kuroko upstairs, as they watched their own private rehearsal.

"If you can complete that spin, we can still win this. Even if they have our tapes." Akashi said, pointing to the screen. Kuroko watched and shook his head.

"I don't think I can... Maybe someone else should do it." Kuroko said, though he knew no one else was light enough to do it.

"Look, Tetsuya, if we pull it off we will kill it on stage. The Kirasaki Daichii won't even know what hit them." Akashi explained while Kuroko stared at him.

"...What happened between you two anyway?" Kuroko asked and Akashi knew who he was talking about.

"...He used to be in Teiko. We used to be really great friends, even if we didn't admit it. Then I found out he had a gambling problem. He made a bet that involved the whole house, and he threw off the dance battle."

"For a bet?" Kuroko asked, frowning again.

"Yeah. Everyone was so disappointed, and we had to kick him out. He has been trying to get at us ever since." Akashi finished.

"...And if he wins the World Jam, he could actually do it." Akashi added.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Akashi watched a current video he just created, watching his team speak what they think of the place they live in. His home, where they all live in.

_"Dance explains who you are. What you do. How you feel. Dance comes from the deepest part of your soul. Dance is you."_

_"This place.. Makes me feel safe. It's my home, and I like it here."_

_"This place is where I can be myself. I can dance how I want to dance, be who I want to be."_

_"People say you don't get to choose your family... Well, we did."_

_"If you're one of us, Akashi will definitely find you."_

Akashi stopped the video, smiling slightly. He made sure it was all downloaded before taking his CD out the laptop, and put it in a case.

This was his family, and they were always so inspirational. He was glad he had them.

Just then Midorima knocked on the doorway and Akashi looked over. He was holding a paper in his hand and Akashi stood up. "Shintaro, what is it?"

Midorima walked over, handing him the paper. "They're putting this place up for Public Auction." He said, and Akashi stood up.

"They can't do that. I'm going to go deal with this."

~.~.~.~.~.~

Akashi walked into the office where a man was sitting there. He didn't even remember his name.

"What do you think you're doing with my place?" Akashi started off immediately.

"Look, Akashi, I know you're upset. Just sit down."

"I won't sit down. Look, just wait a few days, I'll have the money." Akashi tried saying and the man sighed.

"You're 5 months behind your payment. If you don't have the money, the bank will take the place. You know how much money they could get with that place..."

Akashi didn't reply, thinking about their place. It's where his family lives, if he loses it, he has let his family down.

"...Maybe I can ask them to hold it off. But don't get your hopes up. They could take it today."

"Well it's not going to happen." Akashi said, narrowing his eyes. "Because it's not for sale." After that, Akashi walked away and out of the office. This was his home, it belonged to his family. He couldn't let them down.


End file.
